January 23, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

The adrenaline rush had made me slightly light-headed and nauseated, but I recovered quickly and picked up the phone, which had clattered to the floor when I’d dropped it.

“Jonny?!”

“Sorry,” I said. “I dropped the phone. I’m not sure what to say.”

“I’ve made a real mess of things,” Bev said, “and I don’t know what to do.”

“I’m not sure, either,” I replied. “Let me think about it, please.”

“You promised you wouldn’t tell anyone!” Bev said frantically.

“I won’t. Let me call you in a few days...

January 24, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

On Monday morning, after breakfast and a shower, I put on one of my new custom shirts and tailored suits, along with a red ‘power tie’, as Beth called it. I checked myself in the mirror on the back of the bathroom door, then went downstairs.

“WHOA!” Shelly exclaimed. “That suit is amazing!”

“Thanks.”

“If you walk into a bar, every chick in the place will be ready to drop her panties for you!”

“That already happens!” Bianca interjected. “Well, at a university dormitory or party!”

“Now all he...

January 25, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

On Tuesday morning, I wrote my daily analyst report based on the data I had gathered on Monday afternoon and my assessment of the world condition. What I’d discovered so far was that Chile would continue to devalue their currency, though not as severely as had happened the previous September; that the Philippine peso was vulnerable and likely to come under increasing pressure; that Zaire was certain to have a shock devaluation at some point; the Tanzanian shilling was under pressure; and, in the...

January 26, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

On Wednesday at noon, I went to the gym and spoke with the receptionist, who called a personal trainer to speak with me. A few seconds later, a perfectly fit blonde guy, perhaps three years older than I, came over to talk to me.

“I’m Tim Anderson, a licensed exercise physiologist and personal trainer,” he said. “What are you looking to do?”

“Maintain my weight and muscle tone,” I replied. “I have no plans to try out for any body-building competitions.”

“Then I think the best thing for you is ...

January 29, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

On Saturday, I was up early, as were Bianca and Shelly, so we could see the house Mr. Wyatt wanted to show us. Thursday and Friday had been routine at work, as had class on Thursday evening. Jack, Kristy, Haley, and I had a fun evening on Friday, with dinner at Connie’s and then the concert at Loyola. I had taken Haley home afterwards, not wanting to move forward too fast, especially in light of trying to figure out what to do about my limited time.

Part of the problem was taking classes, but I...

January 29, 1983, Western Suburbs of Chicago, Illinois

I arrived at Clara’s house just before 3:00pm and was surprised when Allyson opened the door. She invited me in, and I took off my coat, hat, and gloves.

“I figured it was safer if you met my dad while I was here in case he thought about changing his mind.”

“And here I thought you were more interested in giving your sister grief!” I chuckled.

“Oh, I am! But we have to keep a united front with our parents!”

“Does the fact that she didn’t react the way you expected impact that?” I asked quietl...

January 29, 1983, Western Suburbs of Chicago, Illinois

“Hi!” Marie exclaimed when she opened the door. “Come in!”

We stepped into the house and took off our coats, hats, and gloves.

“Jenny is here, and we’re making hot chocolate,” Marie said. “Would you like some?”

“I would,” Clara said. “Jonathan?”

“Yes, please.”

We followed her to the kitchen, where she introduced her friend Jenny and then added more milk to the pot on the stove.

“Did you decide where to go for dinner?” Marie asked Clara.

“We haven’t talked about it, but I was going to sugg...

January 30, 1983, Super Bowl Sunday, Chicago, Illinois

I slept in on Sunday, getting up just before 9:00am. After a shower, I dressed in sweats, then went downstairs to have a light breakfast, knowing I’d be eating quite a bit later in the day.

“Morning!” Bianca exclaimed, coming into the kitchen in a knee-length sleep shirt about five minutes later.

“Morning,” I replied. “I’ll go to White Hen to get the ice when I finish my breakfast.”

“OK. I double-checked, and we have everything we need. Do you have any plans before everyone arrives around 4:0...

February 7, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

Keiko sighed deeply, then bent down and rested her head next to mine.

“I never knew how empty I was,” she whispered.

She was still for a good five minutes, but there was no risk I’d go soft as the gentle ripples of her tight, silky tunnel massaged my shaft. She began to move, almost imperceptibly at first, simply grinding her mons against my pubic bone. About a minute after she started moving, she blew out a long breath, and the ripples intensified to spasms. Keiko moaned softly and pushed her...

February 8, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

“Did last night meet your expectations?” I asked Keiko as we got into the shower on Tuesday morning.

“Yes,” Keiko replied happily. “As did this morning!”

We’d had two more rounds, identical to the first, before falling asleep, then one more when we woke up. Now, I carefully soaped her body, and once she’d rinsed off, she did the same for me. After I rinsed off the lather, we got out, dried off, dressed, and went downstairs for breakfast. Once we’d eaten, we got into my car so I could drop Keik...

January 30, 1983, Super Bowl Sunday, Chicago, Illinois

Because I knew I was going to gorge myself on snacks, burgers, and brats during the game, I got an apple and a glass of juice from the kitchen for lunch, and the girls made themselves PB&J sandwiches.

“If you can basically triple your money in three months, why would it take so long?” Shelly asked as we ate our lunch.

“Because I’m risking a significant portion of my capital on these bets, and I need to take into account that I might be wrong. It’s also the case that for other investments, thin...

January 31, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

“Shower blowjobs are fun!” Beth declared when she stood up to kiss me.

We exchanged a sloppy French kiss, then rinsed off before getting out of the shower.

“I take it that it’s OK to call you if I’m bored?” she asked as we dressed.

“It is. We should have dinner, too.”

“I’d like that! Can’t beat great sex with zero drama! And enjoyable company, to boot.”

When we were both dressed, we changed the sheets on my bed and then went downstairs, where I made breakfast for us, though I skipped the ba...

February 1, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

“Still OK to come over tomorrow night?” Ellie asked as I pulled up in front of her dorm early on Tuesday morning.

“Yes,” I replied.

After I stopped, she leaned over and kissed me, then grabbed her bag and hopped out. I waited until she went into the dorm, which she did after waving to me. As I headed towards North Michigan Avenue, I considered the situation with Ellie. Nothing really had changed from my perspective, and, ultimately, she’d chosen to continue our relationship. I’d given her a st...

February 2, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

As was often the case, Bianca and Shelly had gone back to their room to sleep around midnight, so I woke alone on Wednesday morning, showered, and went downstairs to have breakfast. Just over an hour later, I was at my desk, working on my daily report. I hadn’t heard anything more about Bev, but as Nelson had said, the Sheriff might wait for a day or two before acting. I thought about calling her but decided to just let it go, especially given she was going to call me when the check arrived, whi...

February 2, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

My happiness about not hearing from law enforcement lasted only until I arrived home and saw a Cook County Sheriff’s cruiser and a black Ford sedan with US Government plates parked in front of the house. I drove past, around into the alley, parked the car in the garage, then went into the house where a uniformed Sheriff’s Deputy was waiting, along with two men in suits who I guessed were FBI agents.

“Mr. Jonathan Kane?” the Deputy asked.

“Yes, Deputy, I’m Jonathan Kane.”

“Deputy Paul Lorenz; ...

February 3, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

“Still OK to show up tonight?” Ellie asked as we showered on Thursday morning.

“Yes. Just remember I have class, so I won’t be home until around 9:30pm.”

“I remember!”

After our shower and breakfast, we left the house. I dropped Ellie at Loyola, then headed to the Hancock Center. As usual, I was the first in the office, at least of those who worked during the day, as Rich, the overnight trader, was close to the end of his shift. I started a fresh pot of coffee, then stopped by Rich’s desk.

“...

February 4, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

Friday was a normal day at Spurgeon, and Kristy and Miranda met Jack and me in the lobby of the Hancock Center just after 5:00pm.

“It’s so silly you have to take separate elevators!” Miranda declared.

“They took away my key to the freight elevator,” I replied. “The biggest downside is I park near the loading dock and could take the freight elevator all the way to the garage, whereas now I have to change elevators or take the stairs. Anyway, did you two decide where we’re going?”

“Connie’s for...

February 5, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

“Ask me out again,” Miranda requested when we got out of bed. “Just let me know by the Tuesday before the Friday so I don’t make plans.”

“It’ll be a few weeks,” I replied. “But I will ask you out again.”

“Cool! And if you have any baseball games, invite me! And I can bring a friend!”

“I don’t schedule those,” I replied. “That was basically Ellie’s deal.”

“I’ll talk to her! Want to do that thing with my boobs before we shower?”

“Indeed I do!”

About thirty minutes later, after a fun tit fuck...

February 6, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

On Sunday morning, I met Marcia at Lou Mitchell’s for breakfast.

“Are we still on for next weekend?” she asked after we were seated.

"Yes, of course! I’ll pick you up on Saturday morning at 9:00am, as we discussed, and we’ll head to Waukesha.

“Great! We’ll have Ponza Rottas for lunch at Jimmy’s Grotto, then we’ll check into the bed-and-breakfast. We can hang out for a bit, then we’ll have dinner at a club in Milwaukee. On Sunday, we’ll go to the museums and head back to Chicago around 6:00pm....

February 7, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

“I think I need to make a regular appointment with you,” Deanna said on Monday morning as we dressed after our shower. “I’m always in a much better mood after being with you!”

“I noticed you tend to lose the whole sad, depressed, starving artist persona during your visits.”

“Orgasms will do that, and you never fail to provide them! Having a big dick is a major plus, too!”

“Did you seriously want to put something on the calendar or just play it by ear?”

“First Sunday of the month until the en...

February 9, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

On Wednesday, instead of going to dinner at Violet’s house, I had dinner with Lily. Violet hadn’t been happy, but she knew Lily and I were seeing each other, so she hadn’t protested, simply expressed her disappointment. The concern I had was when classes ended, I’d likely see Violet less often, and I wasn’t sure how that might affect her. But that was a problem for June, and I could wait to see what developed in my life before then.

“Hi!” Lily exclaimed when she opened the door. “Interested in ...

February 10, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

On Thursday morning, Kasia called and arranged to stop by during the afternoon. When she did, we both signed the agreement, and I made a copy for myself. She let me know that she’d scheduled an ad to run in the Trib for the weekend, and she’d keep me posted on when she’d be showing the house.

“Would you like to meet for pizza again next week?” she asked. “I enjoyed our talk.”

“I would, but I have class Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday, and I have a dinner party to go to on Tuesday. What about T...

February 11, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

I’d contemplated who to invite for my usual Friday night out with Jack and Kristy, and on Wednesday, I’d decided to ask Keiko, who had quickly accepted. She took the L to meet us at the Hancock Center, and after introductions, we headed to Italian Village for dinner.

“There really isn’t anything playing at the movies we want to see,” Kristy said as we headed to the restaurant. “I thought about The Entity, but it was panned.”

“What’s it about?” I asked.

“A woman who is raped by demons. Suppose...

February 12, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

“I very much enjoyed last night,” Keiko said as I drove her back to Loyola early on Saturday morning. “Both before we went to your house and after!”

“I enjoyed it as well.”

“Ask me out again, please.”

“I will!”

At Loyola, she leaned over and gave me a nice kiss, and once she’d gone into the dorm, I drove to Lincoln Park so I could pick up Marcia for our getaway to Waukesha, Wisconsin.

“Come in for a bit,” Marcia said when I rang the bell. “I need about five minutes to finish getting ready. ...

February 12, 1983, Waukesha, Wisconsin

I pulled into the parking lot of Jimmy’s Grotto at about 11:20am, having followed Marcia’s navigating directions from Chicago to Waukesha. We got out of the car and went into the small restaurant. Marcia strongly encouraged me to order a pepperoni Ponza Rotta, so I did for each of us, along with a pitcher of Coke for us to share.

“How did you find out about this place?” I asked.

“Jamee’s dad is from Waukesha,” Marcia replied. “He brought us here a couple of years ago.”

“The only downside I se...

February 12, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

I had not been at all surprised when Marcia had opted not to have the conversation. The drive back had been uncomfortably silent, and I’d turned the radio up to fill the void, though I’d have turned it down if Marcia had wanted to talk. I drew an important conclusion from the entire episode — Jeri had been right about Marcia not fitting into our group. She was, in my opinion, simply not mature enough despite being several years older than both Jeri and me.

When we arrived at Marcia’s townhouse,...

February 13, 1983, Greater Chicagoland, Illinois

On Sunday morning, Deanna and I slept late, showered, had breakfast, and I drove her back to her dorm, then returned to the house to hang out with Bianca and Shelly.

“Two overnights?” Bianca asked. “That’s serious! I told you she liked you!”

“All I can say is that we’ll see where it leads, if anywhere. Which is what I say about all my relationships. And before you say it, yes, I know, if I follow your plan, I can eat my cake and have it, too!”

“I was going to say, ‘Have your pussy and eat it,...

February 14, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

I had forgotten completely that Monday was Valentine’s Day, but as I didn’t have a steady girlfriend, I didn’t feel the day had much significance, and there was no need to alter my plans, though work and school were both inviolable. Keiko was spending the night, but neither of us had mentioned that it was a special day, only referring to it as ‘Monday night’.

I followed my usual morning routine, which included a shower, a quick breakfast, and then a drive to the Hancock Center, followed by the ...

February 15, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

“Do you agree that every rule has an exception?” I asked as Anala and I sat down for coffee after work on Tuesday.

“I think it’s better to ask if your rule is too rigid rather than if there should be exceptions. Once you make an exception, it becomes easier to make another, and another, and eventually the rule is meaningless.”

“I didn’t expect a ‘slippery slope’ argument from you!”

“I don’t see it that way,” Anala countered. “I’m simply making the argument that once you violate a closely held...

February 16, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

“FX Desk, Kane,” I said when I picked up the handset of my phone just before 10:00am on Wednesday.

“Jonathan, it’s Mandy Peterson. Could you come to my office, please?”

“Sure,” I replied. “Be right there.”

I got up, went up to 30, and walked into the Personnel office.

“Hi,” I said to Haley. “Mrs. Peterson asked me to come up.”

“You can go right in,” Haley said.

“Thanks.”

I walked to the door of Mrs. Peterson’s office and stopped.

“Good morning,” I said.

"Come in, shut the door, and have...

February 17, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

“I have a question,” Ellie said as we showered together early on Thursday morning.

“What’s that?”

“Would you be interested in a party with Kasey, Miranda, Josie, and Meg? And maybe another girl?”

“Is that what you want, or is that what you think I want?”

“Both!” Ellie declared. “You know I get off on watching, and I know you get off on having multiple girls.”

“True.”

“Are you considering Bianca’s idea, or do you still expect to get married?”

“According to Bianca, those options aren’t mutu...

February 17, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

Later on Thursday, I ate at my desk, and at 2:00pm I left for an appointment with Doctor James Darmody for a physical and to get my blood type. The physical was routine, and it actually took longer for him to take my medical history, which I basically had to do from memory, as I hadn’t seen a doctor since I was born, having received my vaccines from the nurse at the Clermont County Health Department. When the exam was finished, Doctor Darmody promised that his nurse would call with the blood typ...

February 18, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

“Will you give consideration to a request?” Keiko asked as we got into the shower on Friday morning.

“Yes, of course,” I replied.

“Would you allow me to move into your house instead of living in the dorm? I would pay rent, obviously, and help around the house.”

“Do you mean into my room?” I asked.

Keiko smiled, “That would be my preference, but I’m only asking about a room. There is one free, right?”

There were two, actually, given the master bedroom was large enough to have my computer tab...

February 19, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

Because Clara was visiting, I was up early on Saturday morning, despite having taken Lily home just after midnight. I did my laundry, did the grocery shopping, and stopped at the dry cleaner. Bianca and Shelly had been out late, so they slept in, and I was finished with everything before they got out of bed.

“I talked to my dad about the wood floors,” Shelly said when I arrived home. “He explained in detail how to strip, sand, and stain them. I have a list of everything we need, and he offered ...

February 19, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

“I suppose we should have lunch,” Bianca sighed as she and Shelly snuggled close after they’d each had a turn with me.

“The bed is warm and comfy,” Shelly whined sleepily. “And I’m enjoying snuggle time! Ten minutes more?”

“Fine with me,” I said.

“Yes,” Bianca purred. “It’s not as if I don’t like this!”

Lying in bed with the brown-skinned, black-haired Bianca and the very light-skinned, strawberry blonde Shelly, both of whom were drop-dead gorgeous, was extremely enjoyable, though not as enj...

February 20, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

The girls left just before noon on Sunday, with Izzy going last by the luck of the draw and having her encore.

“What time are the guys coming over?” Bianca asked as she, Shelly, and I sat down for lunch.

“Around 4:30pm,” I replied. “Costas is bringing Chinese, so we won’t have to cook.”

“Just the four Boystown boys, right?” Shelly asked.

“Yes, though none of them actually live in Boystown! Stuart is on shift, and Tom and Maria had plans.”

After we finished eating, I called my mom, and we ha...

February 20, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

“What’s bugging you, Jonathan?” Bianca asked on Sunday evening after Costas, Trevor, Dustin, and Archie had left.

“Is it that obvious?” I asked.

“To Shelly and me, at least. I’m not sure the boys noticed. What’s up?”

“Just some stuff my mom said,” I replied. “But it has me questioning my approach to relationships.”

“Because of Bev?” Shelly asked.

“Right the first time,” I said. “Though the more I thought about it this afternoon, Violet factors in as well.”

“Just as I said,” Bianca observed...

February 21, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

Monday was President’s Day, which meant the markets were closed, and I didn’t have to work. When I went downstairs to have breakfast, I was still reflecting on the conversation with Shelly. I had concluded, before falling asleep the previous night, that I would say ‘yes’ to both Deanna and Keiko moving into the house. It made sense from a financial point of view, but also with regards to our relationships. I liked both of them, and their approach to a potential future was mature and rational and...

February 22, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

“FX Desk, Kane,” I said when I answered my phone mid-morning on Tuesday.

“Mr. Spurgeon would like to see you,” Cheryl, his secretary with the world’s sexiest voice, said.

“I can come up right now if he’s available.”

“He is.”

“Be right there.”

I got up, left the office, took the elevator up to 33, and walked to the corner office.

“Go right in,” Cheryl said, flashing me a smile.

I knew exactly what Noel Spurgeon saw in her, though if the rumors were correct, and I had no doubt they were, sh...

February 22, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

“You’ll see the financial statement on March 5th,” I said, “but I had a big win on a currency play. Unfortunately, the terms of the trust don’t allow currency plays, so the gains were limited to the money you have in the Cincinnatus Fund.”

“I wish I could change those to give you a free hand, but the terms are ironclad. How much did you make?”

“Enough,” I replied.

“You know I’m not going to say a word, and nobody else is here.”

“Six figures,” I replied. “If my other bet hits, I’ll have made ...

February 23, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

“Same time next month?” Allyson asked as we got out of bed on Wednesday morning.

“Assuming neither of us is in a relationship, yes,” I agreed.

“I doubt I’ll be; you might?”

“I don’t have anyone in mind,” I replied, “but I’m not ruling it out for the reasons I gave last night.”

“That’s a change of attitude,” Allyson said as we got into the shower together.

“It’s really more a matter of allowing for the possibility than actively seeking it out.”

“I’m going to guess that means things are not ...

February 24, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

Thursday was a mostly typical day in the office, though I saw the first serious signs of what I felt was going to be a tsunami of sales of gold and silver. At the end of the day, silver was down over $1 per ounce from the previous week and was trading at $13.54. Gold was down just over $25 per ounce from the previous week and was trading at $475.00 per ounce.

If I closed out the positions immediately, in after-hours trading, taking into account the cost of my puts and the contract price, I’d ma...

February 25, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

On Friday morning, after a joint shower and breakfast, I took Keiko back to Loyola, then headed for the office. The first thing I did was check the London gold and silver volumes and quotes, and I was happy to see the prices continuing to decline. Given silver was ‘limit down’, meaning no lower bids would be accepted until Monday in London, I was sure that the price would continue to drop well into the next week, if not longer.

I completed my morning analyst report and wasn’t surprised when, ju...

February 26, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

I hadn’t looked at the mail when Deanna and I had arrived at the house, and Shelly and Bianca were out, so I didn’t find the envelope with my new VISA card until Saturday morning when Deanna and I went downstairs for a late breakfast. I also saw a note that Beth had called, with a notation to call her back on Sunday morning around 10:00am. That made sense, as Saturdays were her family day.

I drove Deanna back to her dorm, then headed to Bridgeport to pick up Teri for our date. She greeted me at...

February 26, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

Teri had created something of a conundrum for me, and one that would be totally tacky to express to her. A committed relationship with her would mean a lengthy period without sex, and that just didn’t work for me. It wasn’t that I couldn’t do it, but that I didn’t want to. There would have to be something about Teri that was so far beyond what I saw in girls like Keiko or Deanna for me to contemplate that kind of situation. That meant my correct course of action was to continue to see her, at le...

February 27, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

The remainder of my date with Teri had been far less adversarial, and I’d very much enjoyed seeing The Wrath of Khan as well as the meal at TGI Friday’s before the movie. After I’d driven Teri home to Bridgeport, I’d returned to an empty house, spent the evening reading, and had gone to bed before Shelly and Bianca had arrived home.

“How was your date?” Shelly asked when she and Bianca came downstairs just before 10:00am on Sunday morning.

“Interesting,” I replied. “I’ll see her again next Sat...

February 27, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

I sat in my room for about fifteen minutes, trying to think of some solution to the problem, but I couldn’t come up with one. I was, though, curious about how a private investigator would find Bev without recourse to the resources the police and FBI had, including forcing me to answer questions. I decided to call Nelson and ask him.

“Sorry to bother you on a Sunday,” I said after he’d answered the call.

“There’s no football or baseball, so you aren’t really interrupting anything. What’s up?”

...

February 28, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

On Monday morning, after a joint shower and breakfast, I’d driven Beth to her grandfather’s tailor shop, then retraced part of my route to the Hancock Center. The very first thing I did after making a fresh pot of coffee was talk to Rich about overnight trading, and based on what he reported, I made a note to call Mr. Steinem to close out my position in gold.

That recommendation also went into my daily analyst report, and I noted that silver still likely had not found what I considered bottom —...

March 1, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

On Tuesday, after work, I met Kasia Pucinski at Lou Malnati’s.

“I have someone who will move into the house on April 15th,” she said once we were seated and had placed our order.

“Great! I’ll write you a check for $650 in exchange for a letter terminating the lease on April 3rd.”

“For tax purposes, it would be better if I simply deduct that from your security deposit to cover ‘damages’.”

“We intend to clean from top to bottom and paint,” I said.

“You obviously didn’t hear the air quotes aro...

March 3, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

Thursday was a very busy day in the office, as I closed out my silver position, then met with Mr. Matheson and Mr. Spurgeon about the Nexis system.

“Let’s get two units set up,” Mr. Spurgeon said after a brief conversation. “One for Kane and one for Kirov. If that goes well, we’ll put them on other analysts' desks. Kane, get the necessary contracts for my signature.”

“I’ll do that as soon as I get back to my desk.”

“Murray, any progress on replacing Jennings?”

“I’ve seen two good candidates ...

March 4, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

“What did you want to do?” I asked Haley when we met in the lobby after work on Friday, which had been her last day in the office.

“Dinner and a movie?” she asked. “Bacino’s on Wacker and then a movie at Water Tower Place?”

“What’s playing?”

“There are two new films, My Tutor and Tender Mercies. The first one is a typical teen coming-of-age movie; the second one is a drama about a country singer.”

“The first one is obviously going to be a comedy of errors of teenage boys trying to get laid. ...

March 5, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

On Saturday morning, we woke relatively early, had another round in bed, and then went to the shower.

“I’m still amazed this thing fits in me!” she exclaimed as she soaped my groin. “I’m so tiny, and you’re so big!”

“And it’s a very nice fit!” I declared, running my finger over her plump labia.

“I really like when you’re on top of me, crushing me into the mattress and pounding me hard. It’s like I lose total control over my body!”

“I noticed,” I said.

We had started with her on top, as we h...

March 5, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

“Will there be a Round 4?” Teri asked as I exited the Ike at Racine Avenue.

“I think that comes down to whether or not we could find a way forward that satisfied both of us, and I’m not sure that’s possible given the disconnect we have.”

“And the only solution is to ‘connect’?” she asked.

“It would be crass of me to insist on that when I know you have strong feelings on the matter.”

“And I’m not worth waiting for?”

“Not to be crass, but I’m sure it will sound crass, for how long? Until we m...

March 6, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

“Is something bothering you, Jonathan?” Bianca asked after breakfast late on Sunday morning.

“Why do you ask that?”

“You’re too quiet. What time did you get home last night?”

“Just after 6:00pm. Teri and I had lunch and went to the zoo, and then I came home.”

“What did you do after you got home?” Bianca asked.

“You and Shelly were out with the girls, so I made myself dinner and spent the evening listening to music and reading.”

“I take it something happened with Teri?”

“I think I learned ...

March 6, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

After we viewed the art on display, Deanna urged me to buy an abstract painting I liked. I decided it wasn’t too expensive, so I made the purchase. The gallery owner wrapped it in brown paper, and once that was completed, Deanna and I left the gallery.

“May I make a suggestion?” she asked as we walked to my car.

“Sure.”

“Create a budget for art and then purchase pieces you like that fit within your budget. Make it a regular thing, and in a few years, you’ll have an interesting personal collec...

March 7, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

On Monday afternoon, Bill Wyatt called to let me know that the inspection had been completed on the house, and everything was in order, including the new boiler for the forced hot water heating system.

“The closing is on the 18th, as we discussed, at 8:00am. The title company will call your attorney on the 16th with the amount you need in the form of a cashier’s check or wire transfer.”

“It’ll be a wire transfer. According to our accountant here, I need the escrow account number and they’ll tr...

March 8, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

On Tuesday morning, I took Keiko back to her dorm at Loyola, agreed we’d get together the following Monday, then headed to the office for another day as a financial analyst. Not much was happening in the world, and most of the action was basic arbitrage, as well as managing futures contracts for customers who had international settlements that had to be made in various currencies.

On Tuesday evening, Anna and I left the office together and, at my suggestion, headed to Eli’s. We had to wait for ...

March 9, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

“How would the Swedish judge rate the encounter?” I asked as I led Anna to the shower on Wednesday morning.

“9,5,” Anna said with a silly smile, “because there is always room for improvement! And your rating?”

“Nine comma five?”

“Sorry, in Sweden, we use the comma where you use the decimal point.”

“Weird. My score was going to be 10.0, but now I have to reconsider!”

“You know I’m teasing you, right?” she asked as I twisted the tap to turn on the water.

“Yes, of course!” I replied. “And I w...

March 9, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

When Anna and I arrived at the Hancock Center on Tuesday morning, we rode the elevator up to 29 together, though that made her quite a bit early for work, as she didn’t start until 7:30am rather than 7:00am. I made coffee as usual, then went to check with Rich about the overnight market.

“When Matheson finds out, he’s going to have a shit fit!” Rich said, nodding towards Anna’s desk.

“He knows,” I said. “As does Mr. Spurgeon.”

“No shit?”

“No shit. How are Japan, Hong Kong, and London?”

“No ...

March 10, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

I was jolted awake by the phone ringing. I groggily slipped out of bed and looked at the clock, which showed 2:49am. My first thought was that it was Bev, and she was in trouble, but my second thought was darker — that something bad had happened to her. I stumbled to the phone and lifted the handset.

“Kane,” I said.

Shelly, with whom I’d been spooning, groaned and pulled her pillow over her head.

“Jonathan Kane?”

“Yes,” I replied, a feeling of dread filling me.

“This is Tamara Cahill. I’m a...

March 10, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

I returned to the waiting room, and shortly before 7:00am, I was surprised to see Lily come through the doors.

“Shelly called me,” she said after we exchanged a quick hug. “How is Violet?”

“I haven’t been able to see her,” I said. “They gave her a sedative, and she’s sleeping. I’m waiting for her to wake up so the doctor can speak to her.”

“They won’t let you see her?”

“I’m not sure. I’m not family, but she doesn’t have any family. They called Doctor Lochner, who said I shouldn’t be allowed ...

March 10, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

There was something very wrong with Marcia, but I couldn’t put my finger on what it might have been. The only clues I had were that she had claimed to be a party girl in college and that she was ready to settle down. Neither of those things really explained her behavior, and there wasn’t much I could do if she wouldn’t talk to me while at the same time continually bringing up the topic of sex.

In my mind, Marcia was even more confused than Violet, who at least understood her circumstances and w...

March 11, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

Friday, except for starting early, was a typical day at the office, including going to the gym with Anna. Just after 2:00pm, Violet called.

“There was some sort of plea agreement,” Violet said. “My case worker asked for the details, but she hasn’t received them and said it might take a few days. She also said that she spoke to the parole officer who would be responsible for my mom, and she, the parole officer, said my mom’s parole could be revoked if she contacted me.”

“How are you doing?”

“O...

March 12, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

On Saturday morning, after breakfast, I drove Ellie back to Loyola, then returned to the house so that Bianca, Shelly, and I could do the grocery shopping and stop at the dry cleaners. Once we finished our errands, we headed for Abt, the appliance store.

“You’re replacing everything, right?” Bianca asked as I pulled into the parking lot.

“Yes — refrigerator, range, and dishwasher, and we’ll need a washer and dryer.”

“You should get a microwave oven,” Shelly suggested. “My parents have one, an...

March 13, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

“What did you say?!” Bianca asked when Bianca and I were in the kitchen on Sunday morning after I related what Teri had said.

“That she’d given me something to think about and that I’d see her Monday at class.”

“You do realize that I think that would be a huge mistake, right? And I don’t mean just from a selfish perspective.”

“What would be a huge mistake?” Shelly asked, coming into the kitchen and sitting down at the table with Bianca and me to have breakfast.

“Teri basically proposed at di...

March 14, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

“What’s the scoop for this week?” Deanna asked as we approached her dorm in my car on Monday morning.

“I’m actually pretty busy for the next two weeks with the new house and other stuff,” I said. “Thursday night would work, if you want to stay over.”

“No girl in her right mind turns down great sex! What’s the scoop for the new house?”

“I’ll sign the papers a week from Friday, and we’ll start working on the house on Saturday. If you can be there around 7:00am on Saturday, that would be cool.”

...

March 14, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

“Would you like to go out on Friday evening?” I asked Teri after class on Monday evening. “It would be a double date with my friends, Jack and Kristy.”

“Introducing me to your friends is a good thing!” Teri replied. “What’s the plan?”

“Usually Kristy decides,” I replied. “But it’ll be dinner and some form of entertainment. We’ve been to movies, concerts, and comedy clubs. Are you able to meet us in the lobby of the Hancock Center at 5:15pm on Friday? I’ll bring you home, but Jack and I work to...

March 15, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

“Mom decided to go visit her sister,” Lily said happily when I arrived at her house.

“Knowing I was coming to dinner?” I asked.

“She said she wanted to give us privacy!”

I chuckled, “Meaning time to talk, or…”

“It turns out she knew about the dinners we had, and when I was with you the first time. She just didn’t say anything. She also couldn’t admit that to the priest or her friends for what I hope are obvious reasons.”

“Yes. What did you have in mind?”

“Orgasms!”

I chuckled, “I believe ...

March 16, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

“It’s a long-term play,” Tony said mid-morning on Wednesday, “But I recommended a long position in Eli Lilly in my daily market analysis based on your tip. I checked it out with someone Monroe knows at the FDA. The estimate is about three years before it hits the market, but Eli Lilly is a strong play even without it. Ceclor, their antibiotic, is the top selling antibiotic in the world. Also, their counterintuitive move to buy Elizabeth Arden in 1971 has finally paid off, with sales up 90% since...

March 17, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

“What do you think, now that you’ve slept on it?” Bianca asked as we dressed on Thursday morning.

“My initial reaction was negative because I knew what it was, though it wasn’t as stomach-turning as the first time a girl kissed me before she swallowed.”

“You got over that!”

“I did, and while you know I don’t prefer doing that, I’m perfectly happy to kiss after a blowjob. I’m not a fan of kissing without swallowing, but if the girl gets off on it, I’ll do it.”

“Like last night.”

“In for a pe...

March 18, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

“Once more, long and slow?” Shelly asked when my alarm went off on Friday morning.

I’d anticipated her request and had set the alarm for twenty minutes earlier than usual. We had a final slow, gentle session that could only be described as lovemaking, then went to the shower. We washed each other in a loving fashion, then dried off, dressed, and went downstairs to have breakfast. Bianca was still asleep, so Shelly and I ate together. Once we finished, I grabbed my satchel, and Shelly walked me ...

March 19, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

On Saturday morning, Bianca, Shelly, and I left the house just before 10:00am to do the grocery shopping and go to the dry cleaner.

“How was your date?” I asked.

“It was fine, Dad!” Shelly replied with a silly smile.

“Are you seeing him again?”

“On Friday when we’ll find out where he Matched. He finds out Tuesday if he Matched but he thinks that’s a lock. It’s just a question of which hospital.”

“I find it crazy that you could go to medical school for four years, graduate, pass your exam, a...

March 20, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

On Sunday morning, Anna and I showered together, she made breakfast for the two of us and her roommates. After breakfast, I headed home. As I drove, I thought about the conversation we’d had, and it was weighing heavily on me because I was seriously struggling with the idea of giving up on Bev.

Logically, it made sense, but in my heart, it felt as if I would be letting her down, even though she was the one who had disappeared. In the final analysis, it was my actions when I’d decided to come to...

March 21, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

“I’m sorry I was in a mood last night,” I said after Deanna and I got into my car on Monday morning.

“It’s my fault,” Deanna said. “I shouldn’t have pushed you about Bev.”

“You’re the third person to do so, and I know what you and the others are saying is logical. I try to be logical and analytical, but it’s difficult when it concerns Bev.”

“I think the question you have to ask yourself is what you owe her. I don’t need an answer, and it’s probably best if you don’t tell me, but until you dec...

March 22, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

On Tuesday evening, I picked up Keiko at Loyola, and we drove to her grandfather’s house. While we drove, she explained proper etiquette, which involved removing my shoes and putting on slippers he would provide and bowing slightly in response to his bow. She also explained that Japanese names were usually surname first, rather than given name first, and that would be how she introduced her grandfather.

When we arrived in Cicero, it took a bit of time to find a parking spot, and it was a few bl...

March 23, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

“Does it bother you that I’m a foot shorter than you?” Keiko asked as we showered on Wednesday morning.

“Does it bother you that I’m a foot taller than you?” I asked.

Keiko laughed softly, “Touché.”

“It’s an obvious, but mostly irrelevant, physical trait,” I replied. “You know I find you attractive, and we’ve clearly overcome the height difference!”

Keiko smiled, “Yes, we have! And you’ve made it clear you find me attractive! You know I think you’re handsome, too.”

“You also know I believe ...

March 24, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

In the Journal on Thursday morning, I read the main point of Reagan’s speech —

‘I call upon the scientific community in this country, those who gave us nuclear weapons, to turn their great talents to the cause of mankind and world peace, to give us the means of rendering these nuclear weapons impotent and obsolete.’

The gist, though, was that it wasn’t even funded as yet, so any pop in defense stocks would be highly speculative.

“What do you think?” I asked Tony when we discussed it when he a...

March 25, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

On Friday morning, Nelson and I met at Chicago Title Company.

“How does this work?” I asked.

“You sign your name about a dozen times, initial about the same number of times, and they give you the keys. They confirmed yesterday they have all the paperwork in order, and the final closing amounts. It’s less than the amount in your commitment letter from Spurgeon, so there are no concerns about overages. The ACH transfer from Spurgeon will be executed as soon as you sign.”

“What about the seller?...

March 26, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

Marcia had left around 9:00pm, and I was sure I hadn’t been very good company. Once she’d left, I’d spent an hour doing something I hadn’t done very often — playing video games on my Atari console. That hadn’t helped improve my mood, so I’d decided to go to bed, knowing I had to be up early and had a long week ahead.

I woke up early on Saturday morning as planned, dressed, and then discovered that Shelly hadn’t come home, which didn’t surprise me. I left the house, drove to Dunkin' Donuts, and ...

March 27, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

Sunday morning was a repeat of Saturday, though Stuart wasn’t available because he was on shift, but both Costas and Trevor showed up to help. We made quick work of the second coat, then cleaned up by removing the tape and taking the tarps to the garage. The last step was reattaching the outlet and switch covers.

Everything was set for Monday morning when we’d begin working on the floors, and Bianca, Shelly, and I headed home at about 5:30pm, ordering pizza for dinner.

“You seem to be in a som...

March 28, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

“Do we have time to give you a ‘thank you’ blowjob?” Katy asked when we got into the shower early on Monday morning.

“I’ll make time,” I chuckled.

The previous night had been fun, and I wasn’t overly tired because mostly I had simply been on my back with the girls doing all the work except for my tongue. My jaw ached a bit, but that was a small price to pay for an amazing night of sex with two fun, willing girls who were now giving me another fantastic joint blowjob.

This time, I finished in ...

March 29, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

We met at the new house early on Tuesday, as we’d planned, and once everyone had doughnuts and coffee, we got to work putting on the second coat of finish. We completed everything by 2:00pm, and most everyone left, though I stayed at the new house, waiting for the locksmith, who arrived at 3:00pm, as we’d agreed. He quickly changed the keyways on the doors to the house and garage and provided me with ten sets of keys, as I’d requested.

When he finished, I headed home for a shower and a nap befo...

March 30, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

On Wednesday morning, after showering and eating breakfast, Allyson helped me pack, starting with the computer equipment in the attic room. By the time Kristy arrived to pick up Allyson for their shopping trip, we’d finished with the computers and most of the kitchen. By lunchtime, I had most of my belongings packed as well, leaving just the things I’d need before Saturday morning.

I left the house at about 1:00pm to drive to Miranda’s house to pick her up for our date. Her dad, Robert, who was...

March 31, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

“What’s the scoop for today?” Bianca asked at breakfast.

“Continental Cablevision will install the cable TV hookup in the great room and basement. The appliances, furniture, and TV projector will be delivered this afternoon. We need to put down the butcher paper, so we should head over sometime this morning.”

“We still need to christen some rooms before anyone moves in,” Bianca exclaimed. “At least the three bedrooms and attic room.”

“Well,” I said, “in that case, we should go over this morni...

March 31, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

The three deliveries and the cable TV install occupied the rest of the afternoon. Bianca and I finally left around 6:20pm and drove to the U-Haul rental agency. I signed for the truck, then drove it to the house, with Bianca following me in my car.

When we walked into the house, we found a note from Shelly saying she was out with Perry, and the answering machine was blinking. I played the messages, the first of which was from Kasia, calling to confirm a time for the move-out inspection. The sec...

April 1, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

“Ugh,” Josie groaned when the alarm rang at 5:30am.

“We have just enough time for a shower,” I said, getting out of bed.

Josie groaned again, got up, and followed me into the bathroom. I turned on the tap, adjusted the temperature, then emptied my bladder into the toilet. Josie sat down and did the same, then we got into the shower under the warm spray.

“That was weird,” she observed as we each used a bar of soap to lather ourselves.

“Right,” I chuckled, “Taking a leak is ‘weird’ after sever...

April 1, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

After Bianca, Miranda, Ellie, and Josie finished their tag-teaming, the five of us managed to crowd into the shower, much to Bianca’s delight, though Miranda was distinctly uncomfortable. She didn’t balk, but I could tell she didn’t appreciate it. Once we had all rinsed off, we dried ourselves, the girls dressed, then we stripped the soiled sheets from the bed and put on fresh ones.

“I’ll put these in the washer,” Bianca said. “And let Keiko know you’re all hers; well, what’s left of you!”

The...

April 2, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

“Are we moving everything?” I asked Keiko as we walked into the dorm at Loyola on Saturday morning.

“Yes. I don’t see any point in maintaining the fiction that I have a dorm room. It’s paid for, but there are only seven weeks of school left, and my dad has no problem with the situation, given how little I’ll have to pay to live in your house.”

“And Loyola doesn’t care?”

“They have their money, so no, they don’t. I’ll simply go to the Registrar’s office and change my residence address. Housing...

April 3, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

On Sunday morning, we were up fairly early and ate breakfast. After we’d eaten, Miranda and Josie left to spend Easter Sunday with their families.

“Two candidates for your harem!” Bianca teased when I joined her in the front room with coffee.

“Yeah, yeah,” I chuckled. “Where is everyone else?”

“Deanna and CeCi aren’t up yet; Shelly went home with Perry; Keiko went to her parents' house; and Jack and Kristy went to his house. All of that was on the calendar in the kitchen.”

“I saw you hung it...

April 3, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

After lunch, I’d fulfilled CeCi’s request, and we lay cuddled together in the afterglow of great sex.

“I’m curious,” CeCi said, “and this isn’t an accusation, but is sleeping with you part of the arrangement to live here?”

“Jack would take serious offense at that idea because of Kristy, but even more so because of HIM!”

“OK, you don’t swing AC/DC!” CeCi said with a laugh. “Good to know! But that’s not what I meant! I didn’t mean that you required girls to sleep with you! I want to know if I w...

April 4, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

On Monday morning, CeCi and I were up early so I could get to work. We showered together, ate breakfast with Jack, and then Jack and I headed to the office.

“You have class today, right?” Jack asked as I backed out of the driveway into the alley.

“Yes. You’ll need to take the L home on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. On Fridays, obviously, we’ll be out together. Tuesdays will depend, but this week, I have a date with CeCi.”

“OK. I’ll just plan on the L four nights a week. Riding in with y...

April 5, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

“CeCi will probably move into Shelly’s old room in August,” I said as Keiko and I showered on Tuesday morning.

“Deanna mentioned that to me last evening. Another girl for your stable?”

“Does that bother you?” I asked.

“Does it matter?” Keiko asked.

“Actually, it does. I’d like to hear your thinking.”

“I knew what I was signing up for when I came to you that first night. Did I decide I want more? Yes, of course. But I’m patient, and I don’t think we should make a lifetime commitment at age t...

April 5, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

“I do! Is she OK?”

“She’s been taken by uniformed officers to Overland Park Regional Medical Center for a psychiatric evaluation.”

“What about Heather?”

“Are you the child’s father?”

The little voice that demanded I always tell the truth was instantly overwhelmed and outshouted by some part of me that screamed, ‘Say yes!’. I hesitated for a brief second, then went with my gut, knowing there was no father’s name on the birth certificate.

“Yes,” I fibbed. “How is she?”

“The officers didn’t r...

April 6, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

When the alarm rang Wednesday morning, I sprang out of bed, quickly showered, dressed, then finished packing. I kissed Keiko goodbye, and she stayed in bed while I grabbed my bag and went downstairs to make coffee and heat two Cinnamon Frosted Pop-Tarts. While I was waiting for the coffee to finish brewing, Bianca came into the kitchen.

“Do you need anything?” she asked.

“I think I have it under control, at least with regard to getting there,” I said. “After that, who knows?”

“Call me if you ...

April 6, 1983, Overland Park, Kansas

“You know,” I said as we lined up to leave the plane, “I never asked about your new job.”

“You were focused on Bev, and I was sure we’d have time to talk. I start April 25th, and I’ll make almost twice as much as I do now.”

“That’s great!”

“I want to add more to my investment account. I can’t believe how fast it’s growing!”

“Once you start, we’ll work on that.”

We left the plane and walked along the jetway. When we entered the gate area, I saw a young black man holding a sign that read ‘KAN...

April 7, 1983, on the road from Overland Park, Kansas to Chicago, Illinois

On Thursday morning, Violet and I had done as we’d planned, and Bev was released from the hospital just before 9:00am. Consulting an atlas I found in her car, I’d determined the best route, and we were on I-35 heading north towards Des Moines, though we’d turn off before we reached the Iowa border.

“I meant to ask,” Bev said, “but what about the hospital bill?”

“There is some kind of state program for what they called ‘indigent single mothers’ that will cover most of the charges. You’ll receiv...

April 7, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

“We need to stop at O’Hare to get my car,” I said. “Bev, you’ll have to drive your car to Violet’s house because she doesn’t drive. I promised to teach her, but we never got around to it. Violet, we’ll do that this Summer, for sure.”

“OK,” Bev agreed.

“OK,” Violet added.

At O’Hare, I couldn’t drive into the parking garage without paying a fee, so I pulled up to Departures, grabbed my bag from the trunk, and Bev got into the driver’s seat. They pulled away, and I walked into the terminal, then...

April 8, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

On Friday morning, I was refreshed from a good night’s sleep, and after a quick shower, I went downstairs to have breakfast with Jack while Bianca went to her room to sleep for a few hours.

“How was the game?” I asked.

“Other than the Hawks losing 4–2, it was awesome. The seats are fantastic. Thanks!”

“That was Murray Matheson,” I replied. “I didn’t ask him to do that. And they did win 7–2 last night, so hopefully, they’ll make the second round. I’ll have tickets for the first or second home ...

April 9, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

“Call me again, please!” Josie said when I walked her to her car on Saturday morning.

“I will, but it might be a few weeks.”

“As long as you keep calling, I’ll be happy!”

We hugged and exchanged a quick kiss, and once she’d driven off, I walked to my car and headed to Violet’s house for breakfast with her, Bev, and Heather.

“How are you two doing?” I asked Bev after Violet greeted me with her usual hug and kiss on the cheek.

“Violet’s counselor recommended a support group for single moms. I...

April 9, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

“What did you think?” Violet asked when we left Nancy’s office about twenty minutes later after Violet had spoken privately with her again.

“I think she’s much better than Doctor Lochner,” I replied. “I think she’s what you need at this point.”

“What did she talk to you about, if it’s OK to ask?”

“Of course, it’s OK to ask! I was there for you! Mainly, we talked about our relationship and the success you’ve had recently. We also spoke a bit about Bev, and Nancy asked me some questions about m...

April 10, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

On Sunday, Keiko and I slept in, had a late breakfast, and hung out with our housemates until 1:30pm, when I left to meet Teri at the diner in Bridgeport.

“Hi, Jonathan,” Candace said when I walked in.

“Hi. I’ll want a booth for two, please, though I’ll wait here for my date.”

“How is your supervisor’s job?”

“I’m actually an analyst now.”

“I’ve never heard of anyone moving up that fast! That’s seriously impressive!”

“Thanks. Wasn’t your hair black last time?”

It was now bleached blonde.

...

April 13, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

On Wednesday morning, I scanned the front page of the Tribune to see that Congressman Washington had won the mayoral election, though it had been very close; too close, in fact. The only reason it was that close was that Bernard Epton had run a blatantly racist campaign with the slogan Epton for Mayor: Before It’s Too Late. Epton had taken 48% of the vote, unheard of for a Republican. On the way to work, we heard that Ed Vrdolyak and Ed Burke were going to block Washington’s agenda in the City C...

April 14, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

Mr. Chojnicki called just after lunch on Thursday to let me know that he and Glen had met, that Glen had signed the necessary documents, and that Glen would begin sending checks on the 15th of each month.

“Glen reiterated that he wants to see Heather,” Mr. Chojnicki said. “But he won’t force the issue.”

“Which is what he said when he admitted paternity.”

“I didn’t realize the relationships, nor his position.”

“I didn’t feel the relationship with my mom was material to the conversation, and I...

April 15, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

On Friday, I interviewed the two finalist candidates for Eric Thiele’s open analyst position. The differences between the two were stark.

One was a man around fifty with thirty years of experience in the industry in various roles. He was intelligent, soft-spoken, and extremely businesslike. He had a degree in accounting and had been a CPA for several years before becoming an investment advisor, then an analyst.

The other was a gorgeous, stacked blonde who had graduated the previous year from U...

April 16, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

On Saturday morning, Keiko and I slept in, then after showers and breakfast, I headed to the Secretary of State’s office to change the address on my driver’s license and on the registration of my LeBaron. I ended up waiting in line for nearly two hours to accomplish what would have taken no more than twenty minutes total at the BMV in Clermont County. Once I reached the disinterested clerk, who appeared to be working as slowly as possible, it took another thirty minutes to complete everything an...

April 17, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

“I’m happy I got home first last night!” Deanna said, stretching when she woke up next to me on Sunday morning.

“No complaints here!” I replied.

“The redhead still won’t put out?”

“I’m not trying.”

“Reverse psychology?” Deanna asked.

“No. She’ll only have sex with her husband.”

“CeCi used to say that!”

“And you never know! I’m the only one she’s slept with!”

Deanna laughed, “You’re that into her?”

“I like her, and we clicked, but it’s a long stretch from there to marriage.”

“She feels ...

April 18, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

On the way to work on Monday morning, Jack and I heard on the radio that a bomb had gone off at the US Embassy in Beirut.

“What’s that going to do?” Jack asked.

“Stocks will sell off at the open, gold will be limit up, and oil prices will spike. What happens after that depends on how Reagan responds. I’m going to guess more troops from the US, France, Italy, and Britain, but not a full-scale invasion. But you never know.”

“So what’s your move?”

“Stand pat,” I replied. “I don’t think this wil...

April 19, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

Keiko stayed in bed on Tuesday morning, promising she’d change the sheets when she eventually got up, and I went downstairs to have breakfast with Jack and Kristy. I was surprised to find Bianca and Deanna in the kitchen as well.

“Why are you two up early?” I asked.

“I have a program to work on,” Bianca said. “So I’m going to the computer lab.”

“You can’t do it on our computers here?”

“No, it’s for my assembly language class, and it has to be done on an IBM PC. You have one at work, but not ...

April 20, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

“Jonathan Kane?” a man in his late thirties asked as Jack, Beth, and I walked out to the car on Wednesday morning.

“Who wants to know?” I asked.

“Ted Farley. I’m an investigator with Global Security. I’m looking for Beverly Newton.”

“I have no information for you,” I said.

“She recently registered a car to this address.”

“I have no information for you,” I said again.

“Do you know where she is?”

“I have no information for you.”

“Buddy, get lost,” Jack said, lowering his voice to make it s...

April 20, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

I arrived home later than usual because I had to take the L and walk from the L stop to the house, but I didn’t see the investigator, which was what I had expected would be the case. And even if he had been waiting at the L, he would have no way of knowing where I had come from.

“That joker followed me home,” Jack said when I walked into the house. “When I came out of the garage, he asked where you were and I gave him the same answer you did this morning.”

"Thanks. He can follow me in the morn...

April 21, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

Deanna stayed in bed on Friday morning, and as I showered, I realized that what Deanna had said the previous evening dovetailed with Bianca’s suggested plan, though I wasn’t sure Keiko would go for that kind of arrangement. I wasn’t ready to make a commitment, but if someone put a gun to my head and insisted I decide, I’d pick Keiko without any hesitation.

But with my life not on the line, I had reasons to wait, the most important being how I felt about Violet. I had serious doubts about her be...

April 23, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

Kasey had decided to stay Saturday and Saturday night, and we’d had a lazy day around the house except for grocery shopping, stopping at the dry cleaners, and returning the tape. Saturday night had been a repeat of Friday night, and Kasey and I had fooled around until around 3:00am, not waking until just before 10:00am on Sunday morning.

“Shower?” I asked.

“Yes,” she agreed.

We got out of bed, I led her to the bathroom, and once I’d adjusted the water temperature, we got under the spray.

“I ...

April 26, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

Just after lunch on Tuesday afternoon, I received the call I’d been expecting.

“You were right,” Violet said. “The investigator showed up at the plumbing company about twenty minutes ago and asked me about Bev. I said exactly what you told me to say. He wasn’t happy and pressed me about Bev, but my boss told him to get lost.”

“Thanks for letting me know. There is literally nothing that ties her to you or your house, and she’s no longer there, so he’s totally barking up the wrong tree. Just rem...

April 26, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

“How does your retirement or pension account work, Nelson?” I asked as we had drinks at Jeri’s house on Thursday evening.

“I don’t know the complete details because I’m not a partner. It’s managed by Thomas Hart.”

“Would you introduce me to him? I’d like to send him a prospectus and see if he’s interested in allowing me to manage the fund.”

“Sure. How do you want to do it?”

“I’ll write a letter on Spurgeon stationary and send it to him, care of you, along with a prospectus document. I can me...

April 27, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

Allyson and I did have a sex marathon, but it didn’t last all night. At one point, she’d jokingly suggested inviting Kristy, but I made it clear I felt that was a bad idea, given Kristy and Jack were a couple. When we woke up on Wednesday morning, I was tired, but it had been worth it. We got out of bed and went to the shower.

“There’s no extra time this morning, right?” Allyson asked.

“No. We have just enough time to drop you at Loyola and get to work, and Loyola is only about five minutes ou...

April 28, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

“Do you want to have dinner this weekend?” Teri asked after class on Thursday evening.

“The only day I’m free is Sunday,” I replied. “If that works for you.”

“It does. If you don’t object, I’ll cook dinner for us. My parents will be out, and Troy will graciously disappear to his girlfriend’s house.”

“What time?”

“Come by around 5:00pm; dinner will be around 6:00pm.”

“Sounds good. I’ll see you then.”

I left the classroom and headed to the diner to meet Violet. After our usual pie and coffee...

April 29, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

On Friday afternoon, I received a fax from Detective Thomas in Overland Park. I quickly scanned the documents to make sure they were complete, then called to let him know I had them and I’d get back to him within a week. Later in the afternoon, Nelson called to let me know he’d received the letter and prospectus and had taken them to Thomas Hart, who’d promised to look them over and call me sometime the following week.

The Hyatt Regency was a twenty-minute walk from the Hancock Center, so I dec...

April 29, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

“Soon,” I groaned as Marcia sucked, stroked, and swirled her tongue.

I knew my body well enough, and a few seconds later, I twitched as Marcia stroked faster, sucked harder, and swirled her tongue faster. A few seconds later, a jet of cum shot into Marcia’s mouth. She coughed and spluttered but didn’t stop pleasuring me as additional spurts entered her mouth.

She continued for close to a minute after the last spurt, then released me, and true to her implication before we’d begun, French kissed...

April 30, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

“I apologize,” Marcia said as we got out of bed on Saturday morning.

“For what?” I asked.

“Being such a…I don’t even know what the word is…when you stayed the first night.”

“There’s no need to apologize for naïveté or inexperience! Last night was a lot of fun, and the ‘good morning blowjob’ was awesome! If you want to get back in bed, I’d be happy to have another vigorous screw.”

Marcia laughed softly, “Oh, God, yes!”

I took her hand led her back to bed, and after I brought her off twice wi...

May 1, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

I woke on Sunday morning with Bev snuggled close, one leg over mine, her arm over my chest, and her head on my shoulder. I lay quietly until she stirred a few minutes later.

“Heather is still asleep,” she said. “Once more?”

“If you insist!” I replied.

Bev kissed me, moved down so she could use her mouth to get me hard, then rode me enthusiastically. When we finished, she stretched out on top of me, and I wrapped my arms and legs around her.

“Thank you,” she said, giving me a soft kiss. “Show...

May 1, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

“Interesting development,” Bianca observed when I arrived home mid-morning on Sunday.

“But not the way you think,” I replied. “Bev and I had a very, very good talk, got everything out in the open, and she’s going to get in touch with the baby’s father.”

“That’s good, right?”

“It’s complicated. There is a key thing you don’t know that I cannot share at the moment, and suffice it to say, what I learned last night, which is about that thing, is good and bad.”

“You’re talking in circles.”

“I kn...

May 2, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

My phone rang mid-morning on Monday.

“FX Desk, Kane.”

“Jonathan, this is Kendall Roy in Compliance. Do you have some time to see me today?”

“I can make time. What’s this about?”

“A routine SEC inquiry. What time?”

“How does 2:00pm sound?”

“That’s fine.”

“Bring your files for this year, please.”

“OK.”

“See you at 2:00pm.”

I hung up, then walked over to Anna’s desk to ask if Mr. Matheson was free.

“You sure didn’t waste any time! Five girls?”

“That’s not an answer to my question,” I sa...

May 2, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

“Can we just sleep tonight?” Keiko asked when she climbed into bed with me on Monday night.

I knew it wasn’t her ‘time of the month’, so it wasn’t that.

“Not feeling well?”

“I’m just tired.”

“Were you up late last night?”

“No, and I think I slept OK.”

“I’m sorry I have to be up about thirty minutes early tomorrow, but you can just stay in bed.”

“Maybe I’ll just sleep in my bed,” she said.

“You’re welcome to sleep with me and stay in bed when I shower.”

“OK,” she said.

I reached over, t...

May 3, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

On Tuesday morning, Keiko stirred when my alarm went off but went back to sleep. I showered, dressed in the bathroom, then quietly left the room. I’d decided I’d have breakfast at the diner, and Jack had decided to go in early and take a longer lunch.

“I didn’t want to ask in front of the girls,” Jack said after we got into the car. “But what’s up with Haley?”

“She called to have coffee, not a date, though I plan to eat breakfast, even if it’s just coffee and a Danish. It actually fits with ho...

May 6, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

Wednesday and Thursday were typical days at work and in class; Deanna had spent the night on Wednesday and Bianca on Thursday. Keiko was still very tired, and Bianca and Shelly both encouraged her to go to the clinic at Loyola, suspecting she might be anemic, something both Shelly and Deanna had experienced during High School. I’d added my encouragement, and she’d agreed she’d see the nurse on campus.

Friday morning was also typical, and I worked out in the gym. When I returned to the office, t...

May 7, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

“Did we wear you out?” Esme asked as she, Jasmine, and I got into the shower after I’d had another round with them after waking up.

“You certainly were exploring the limits,” I chuckled.

“Not quite as far as the baseball games, though!”

“True,” I agreed.

The shower was fun, though I noticed the girls being careful not to touch each other. That was certainly in deference to Jasmine, as Esme and Katy had enthusiastically pleasured each other in my presence. Katy would be home for the Summer, s...

May 7, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

It took me a few seconds to recover from the surprise of Violet admitting she wanted to make love, though as I quickly thought, I shouldn’t have been surprised given what had happened in the previous month.

“I won’t ever do anything that would hurt you in any way,” I said gently. “And we should talk about it before we even take a small step in that direction.”

Violet sagged against me and began crying softly. I had no clue what to do and decided the best course of action was to comfort her but...

May 8, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

I woke on Sunday morning and was relieved that Violet had not crept into bed with me, something I’d feared might happen. I considered my options and decided to simply get dressed. I did, then went down to the kitchen and made coffee with Violet’s Mr. Coffee machine. Before it finished, Violet came downstairs, dressed for the day.

“Good morning,” I said.

“I’m sorry about last night,” Violet said.

I smiled, “There is literally nothing to apologize for.”

“But I know you want to…” she said quiet...

May 8, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

“What did you want to know about your grandfather?” Aunt Wendy asked as I chopped ingredients for the salad.

“How will he react to me reaching out to him?”

“First, does my sister know?”

“Yes. I spoke to Mom about it. The background for my question is Keiko’s grandfather places a very high value on family relationships, especially respect for elders. At some point, he’ll ask to meet my family.”

“You and Keiko are that serious?”

“Serious enough,” I replied. “We’re not a couple, but we’re cert...

May 9, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

I wasn’t too surprised when Ellie got out of bed with me on Monday morning, saying she preferred me to give her a ride to campus rather than waiting for Kristy, Bianca, or Keiko. We showered together, then went downstairs to have breakfast with Jack. While we were eating, Deanna came into the kitchen to get some coffee.

“No sleep?” I asked.

“I’m trying to complete a portfolio that’s due in ten days, and it’s a mix of media and styles. Realism isn’t my thing, but that’s what this portfolio is a...

May 10, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

Thomas Hart and I met for lunch at the restaurant on the upper floors of the Hancock Center. I had permission from Murray Matheson to expense the lunch, though I’d have gladly paid out of my own pocket for the opportunity to give my pitch. If I could land the Hart-Lincoln pension fund and some of their attorneys, and the Overland Park, Kansas police pension fund, I’d be well on the way to becoming a Portfolio Manager and effectively doubling my income.

“Tell me why I should trust my firm’s mone...

May 10, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

After work on Tuesday, I picked up Jeri at home and took her to Morton’s The Steakhouse, where I’d made reservations. We’d been there before, and it fit a proper business dinner. With my suit on, I could easily have ordered a drink, but Jeri, despite being dressed in a nice skirt and blouse, was so clearly under twenty-one that there was no way she’d be served.

“Do you have an agenda for the evening?” I asked once we’d placed our orders.

“Is that a serious question?” Jeri asked with a soft lau...

May 11, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

When Jeri and I got out of bed on Wednesday morning, having had amazing sex both before and after we’d slept, we showered together. After our showers, we went down to the kitchen to have breakfast, which Karolin had prepared. While we were eating, Karl came into the kitchen.

“Master Jonathan, your suit has been steamed and pressed, your shoes shined, your shirt laundered and ironed, and your other things laundered. I’ve laid them out on the bed in the guest room across the hall from Miss Jeri’s...

May 12, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

We’d had a single vigorous fuck, with Deanna falling asleep only seconds after we finished, and she hadn’t stirred when I’d gotten out of bed to shower on Thursday morning. She was still asleep when I finished dressing, so I didn’t bother her and went downstairs to have breakfast with Jack.

“I didn’t realize you and Jeri were involved that way,” he said as I pulled out of the driveway into the alley.

“Occasionally,” I replied.

“I’d suggest more than that with an heiress, but I think you’ll ma...

May 13, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

On Friday morning, after I’d arrived at the office and done all my usual arrival and pre-market tasks, I completed my analysis of the ‘split-strike’ method, wrote a brief report, attached a dozen pages of printouts with data to back up my analysis, then took it to Mr. Matheson.

“Bottom line?” he asked.

“The numbers don’t support his claims unless he’s the luckiest man on Wall Street. Maybe he is, but I wouldn’t count on it.”

“Theorize.”

“Inside information on a few big movers would do it if ...

May 13, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

I was stunned but moved quickly to sit next to her and put my arm around her.

“What exactly did the doctor say?” Kristy asked.

“That the lab found leukemic blast cells in my blood smear, and saw what they called Auer rods. I need a bone marrow biopsy to confirm.”

“When?” I asked.

“Monday at the hospital,” she replied.

“If you have it,” I asked, “is it treatable?”

“With chemo.”

“How can we help you?” I asked.

“Just hug me, please,” she requested.

I helped her into my lap and wrapped my a...

May 16, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

I’d spent the weekend with Keiko and had canceled my other plans, which meant not seeing Marcia or Teri. I was vague with them, as Keiko didn’t want the news spreading until she had more information. As I’d promised her, I arrived at Rush-Presbyterian Hospital at 12:50pm on Monday afternoon to be with her while she had her test. I sat with my arm around her until a nurse called her name. We got up and walked over.

“The test procedure can be somewhat disconcerting,” the nurse said to me. “Are yo...

May 17, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

On Tuesday, I was on pins and needles all day, waiting for Keiko to call to let me know what the doctor had said. The call finally came at 3:47pm and was what I’d feared.

“I have Acute Myeloblastic Leukemia with maturation,” Keiko said, her voice shaking.

“I have no idea what that means,” I replied.

“It’s a bone marrow cancer that affects blood cells that develop into white blood cells,” Keiko said, sounding a bit stronger. “It prevents bone marrow cells from properly maturing, which results ...

May 18, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

“How are you doing?” I asked Keiko when we woke up on Wednesday morning.

“Nervous and stressed,” she said.

“Is there anything more I can do to help?” I asked.

“I don’t think so,” Keiko replied as we went into the bathroom to shower together.

Because I had to leave for work, the shower was about being clean, so we each washed ourselves, then dried off, dressed, and went downstairs to have breakfast with Jack. When we finished eating, I hugged and kissed Keiko, and then Jack and I left for wor...

May 20, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

Thursday had been a typical day, though I’d had lunch with Bev, who had expressed shock and sadness at the news about Keiko. On Friday mid-morning, Mr. Matheson called me into his office.

“What’s your take on the bombing in South Africa?” he asked.

“Well, given it only happened an hour ago, not much. It’s most likely the ANC, which the South African government, along with the US and UK, calls a terrorist organization. I’d put it on par with car bombs in Northern Ireland — terrible for those af...

May 20, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

“You’re sure?” I asked Keiko when she insisted I go out with Jack, Kristy, and Meg.

“Positive,” Keiko replied. “I’m going to drive home — I mean our house — have something to eat, then go to bed. I’m still very tired, and I want to go with you to the nursery tomorrow.”

I’d been surprised, not just by the fact that there was a Shinto priest within a few minutes of my house, but also a nursery that sold bonsai trees that was even closer.

“OK. We’ll do that after the estimator from Brown Constru...

May 21, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

I’d cum seven times before nature refused to coöperate, but after three hours of sleep, I came twice more — once on Meg’s face from a tit fuck, and once in her pussy from a long, slow, gentle screw.

“Satisfied?” I asked with a grin as we got into the shower

“If I say ‘no’, will you do it again?” Meg asked impishly.

“You’d risk damaging my fragile male ego by saying you weren’t?”

“First of all, you do NOT have a fragile ego! Second of all, I want you to ask me out again next semester! Third, ...

May 22, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

Deanna and I were up relatively early on Sunday morning, not even having exchanged a kiss and having taken individual showers. We went downstairs to make breakfast and were joined by Bianca and Juliette almost immediately. Jack and Kristy came in about ten minutes later.

“Has anyone seen Keiko this morning?” Kristy asked.

“No,” I replied. “I was going to knock on her door once breakfast is ready. She was pretty wiped out from our trip to the nursery yesterday. She did have dinner and watched a...

May 23, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

Monday was a busy day at Spurgeon, which was a good thing, as it helped keep me from obsessing about the report we were expecting from the oncologist. Marcus called just after lunch to discuss the estimate and faxed me a copy. It was in a range I could afford, and based on my promise to Keiko, I signed it and faxed it back. Because of the previous relationship with Spurgeon, Gerald Brown juggled some jobs and could commit to installing the deck, hot tub, and fire pit starting June 13th and finis...

May 24, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

On Tuesday, I began my new schedule, which created a minor inconvenience for Jack, as he’d have to take the L or UP/North to get to work rather than ride with me. Arriving two hours early didn’t change much, though I’d made a second fresh pot of coffee at 7:00am, as I knew Matheson, Monroe, and Foulks expected a fresh pot.

I ate lunch at my desk while doing research, and after double-checking with Mr. Matheson and letting Anna know that I would be in at 5:00am on Wednesday, I left the office at...

May 25, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

Because of my new schedule, I had time on Wednesday to go home before going to class. Keiko was home and sitting in the front room, studying.

“How are you doing?”

“I feel better than I have in at least two weeks.”

“The transfusion appears to have worked,” I observed.

“It does. I’ll need them along the way, so it’s nice to know I have more energy. There is one thing the doctor spoke to me about after you left that I wanted to tell you in private.”

“What’s that?”

“The chemo drug is so pervas...

May 26, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

“Any market fallout from the earthquake and Tsunami in Japan?” I asked Rich when I arrived in the office just before 7:00am on Thursday.

“Just some minor selloffs in Asia that have mostly cleared. The tsunami hit the northwest side of Honshu, mostly the Aomori and Akita Prefectures, with a combined population of around 2.7 million out of around 120 million total in Japan. No reports of damage or casualties yet, and the tsunami also hit the eastern coast of Korea, and again, no reports of damage...

May 27, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

When I woke up on Friday morning, Keiko woke up as well, kissed me, then went to her bed to go back to sleep while I showered and dressed. After breakfast with Jack, we walked out to my car for the drive to the Hancock Center.

“Do you need me to do anything for you?” Jack asked as I pulled out of the alley.

“Not that I can think of. Bianca and Deanna will do the shopping tomorrow and will take my suits to the dry cleaners and pick up the ones we dropped off last Saturday. Because Keiko will be...

May 28, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

Josie and I were up early so we could repeat our activities from the previous night, then went to the shower.

“Is it OK to say I really want to see you more often?” she asked as we got under the warm spray.

“It’s always OK to say what you’re thinking,” I replied.

“So, what do you think?”

I didn’t feel I could share what I’d said to Keiko, and Keiko had made it clear we weren’t going to change things until we knew more. In addition, I didn’t want to seem crass to a girl who had just willingly...

May 28, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

Keiko and I arrived at the cancer treatment center at Rush-Presbyterian at 7:40am, and she began the admission process. It was somewhat abbreviated, as most of the paperwork had been completed during her visits with Doctor Morrison. Keiko showed her ID and insurance card from Blue Cross, signed her name about a dozen times, and then we were escorted to a private room, necessary because she’d be what Doctor Morrison had called ‘immunocompromised’ by the chemo and other drugs she’d be given.

“Did...

May 29, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

“You’ll need to wear a mask in the room, starting today,” Nurse Kelly said on Sunday morning. “I’ll provide a box of surgical masks. Put on a fresh one each time you come into the hospital and after meals.”

“My parents and grandparents will visit this afternoon,” Keiko said.

“They’ll need to check in with the nurses' station, and they’ll be given masks. I’m leaving the box for your boyfriend because he’s permitted to come and go at any hour.”

The nurse completed her checks, administered the n...

May 30, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

“Thanks for letting me spend the night,” Deanna said as she and I got out of bed on Monday morning.

“And thanks for agreeing to mostly cuddle.”

“It was pretty obvious you needed that more than an all-night fuckathon. It’s a very different side of you.”

“Keiko’s situation has made me think about things I’ve never worried much about or thought I could postpone into the future.”

We went to the bathroom, and I turned on the shower, and once the water was the correct temperature, we got in.

“Wer...

May 31, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

On Tuesday morning, when I got out of bed, Bianca went to her room so she could have a few more hours of sleep. I showered, dressed, and then went downstairs to have breakfast with Jack. We ate, then headed to the Hancock Center, where I began my day as usual — I made a fresh pot of coffee, spoke with Rich and Mark about overnight trading in Japan and morning trading in Europe, then got to work on my analyst report.

I reviewed the news from the G7 Summit, which had been held over the weekend at...

June 1, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

Wednesday was a fairly normal day at work, including going to the gym, and I managed to spend about forty minutes researching trade between the US and the USSR. Nearly all the trade volume was grain, sold by the US to the USSR, and accounting for around 70% of all US exports to the Soviet Union. US exports to the USSR only accounted for between 1% and 2% of total US exports, and Soviet exports to the US accounted for only about two-tenths of a percent of total US imports.

The main challenge for...

June 2, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

Thursday was like any other day until 1:30pm when I left the Hancock Center to walk the short distance to the offices of Hart-Lincoln for my meeting with Thomas Hart to secure their business. I had a folder with all the necessary forms and agreements in my satchel, along with a dozen copies of the prospectus for the individual investors.

My goal was to leave Hart-Lincoln with at least $5 million committed - $3.7 million from their retirement fund and another $1.3 million from partners. If I cou...

June 3, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

On Friday, around 8:30am, I went up to the mailroom to have a word with Jack. Normally, we’d have had the drive to work to have a private talk, but I’d come in far too early for him to come along.

“I have four tickets for Crosby, Stills, and Nash on Sunday,” I said. “Two of them are yours and Kristy’s, if you want them. My date and I will meet you there.”

“We’re in,” he said. “I’m sure she’ll be OK with that. Who are you bringing?”

“A toss-up between Beth and Teri, but I think Teri because Be...

June 4, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

On Saturday, after breakfast, I walked Miranda to the train so she could go home, then Bianca and I did the usual Saturday shopping. When we finished shopping at Jewel, we stopped at the dry cleaners to drop off and pick up my suits and shirts. After lunch, I called Teri to confirm the time for the concert and that I’d pick her up for dinner at 5:00pm. When the call ended, I packed a bag with a change of clothes and some reading material, then headed to Rush-Presbyterian to spend the day with Ke...

June 5, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

“I see you didn’t stay the night,” Bianca said when she came into the front room where I was studying on Sunday morning.

“Keiko strongly encouraged me not to simply sit in the recliner next to her bed all day, given she’s mostly sleeping and becomes run down simply by talking for more than about five minutes. They gave her a transfusion yesterday, which should help, and they’ll give her more until her blood count is in an acceptable range, though there is some limit which I don’t fully understa...

June 5, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

“What did you think?” I asked when Teri and I got into my car after the concert at Chicago Stadium, having said ‘goodbye’ to Jack and Kristy.

“I liked it,” she replied. “What’s your favorite song they played?”

“It’s between Just a Song Before I Go and Southern Cross. You?”

“Those two, or Wasted on the Way. Not that any of their songs are bad.”

“True,” I agreed. “Including the covers they performed. It’s early enough to have the dessert that we skipped at dinner.”

“Poppin Fresh Pies?” she su...

June 6, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

On Monday morning I was up very early, ate breakfast alone, then drove to the Hancock Center alone. I completed my usual morning routine, then at 8:30am, I placed a call to Detective Sergeant Bill Thomas in Overland Park. He wasn’t at his desk, so I left a message with another detective, asking that Sergeant Thomas please return my call. Just before 11:00am, he did. He had no specific updates, but he did say he’d heard positive things and that I could expect an invitation to make a formal presen...

June 7, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

On Tuesday, I kept my normal schedule, having agreed with Keiko that I’d visit her right after work. At 9:00am, I placed a call to Beth at the tailor shop and let her know I was available for dinner, if she was free, and we made a date for our usual place, though I’d pick her up on my way from the hospital. Once I finished that call, I made the call to the ticket broker and arranged to purchase a block of thirty tickets in the bleachers for the Fourth of July doubleheader.

Just before lunch, Co...

June 8, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

“I’ll do it if you want,” I said to Beth as we showered on Wednesday morning. “You’ll have to get whatever we need, as I’m completely clueless about it.”

“I’m only slightly less clueless, but I’ll speak to someone at The Pleasure Chest. I’m sure they have ropes or scarves or leather straps or handcuffs and someone who knows what to do.”

“Handcuffs?”

“It’s an option. But knowing those things is about the limit of what I know.”

“Have you been to that store?”

“Yes. It’s where I bought what Osc...

June 10, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

Friday was a normal day at work, and at the end of the day, I went to see Keiko for our daily visit before heading to Loyola to meet Ellie. I’d debated canceling, but in the end, decided that I’d committed to it, and as Keiko hadn’t expressed any concerns or even implied any, I decided that I would have what I expected to be a last crazy fling.

There was still the promise I’d made to Deanna and Ceci, and I’d keep that commitment, but once I had, then I’d make a commitment of another type to Kei...

June 10, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

“…but there’s something neither of you knows about me. If I stay, Jonathan and I would double-team you, Meg.”

“You’re lesbian?” Meg asked, but in a way that didn’t sound disapproving.

“Bi,” Nicole replied. “I’ve only ever had sex with girls, but I’m interested in guys, too. I’m not out, and I’d ask you two not to reveal that to anyone. And I won’t be offended if you say ‘no’, Meg.”

“Can I ask what you planned to do if we’d played Ellie’s game?” Meg wondered.

“Just have sex with Jonathan,” Ni...

June 11, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

On Saturday morning, we did as we’d planned — the girls double-teaming me, one with my dick in her, the other with my tongue in her, facing each other to kiss and play with each other’s breasts. I came in both of them, then they had their final sixty-nine before we went to the shower. After the shower, we dressed, changed the sheets on the bed, then went downstairs to have breakfast.

“Winners?” Bianca asked with a smirk when she passed us on the stairs.

“Oh, absolutely!” Nicole declared.

The ...

June 11, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

I spent three hours with Keiko, during which she received a transfusion. When I left the hospital, I headed to Teri’s house in Bridgeport, which was less than ten minutes from the hospital. Teri was ready to go, and we left the house right away to head to Maxim’s for dinner, something we’d agreed on when we’d made our date.

As I drove, I contemplated what to say to Teri and decided that because there was, in effect, an end date when she went to UofI, I didn’t need to say anything until I had al...

June 12, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

“Still can’t get Teri into bed?” Bianca teased when she came downstairs on Sunday morning.

“I chose not to try, given where I am at this point. Speaking of that, I did speak to Keiko about our discussion, and once you have breakfast, we should speak privately.”

“OK. Bubble bath?”

“I could see my way clear to do that,” I replied.

I finished reading the paper while Bianca made her breakfast and ate it, then we went up to my bedroom. I started the bath, we undressed, and got into the tub with t...

June 12, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

“You look stunned!” Keiko said about fifteen seconds later.

“Sorry,” I replied. “You just surprised me because I didn’t expect you to say that.”

“I didn’t expect to say it, either! It just seemed like the right thing to say. It’s OK if you don’t say it back right now.”

I smiled, “I love you, Keiko.”

“That has been obvious for weeks,” she replied with a smile. “Thank you for saying it. And now I do need my nap. See you tomorrow?”

“Absolutely.”

I squeezed her hand in lieu of a kiss, then lef...

June 13, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

I was up early on Monday morning and in the office by 5:30am as I’d planned. Just after 6:30am, Deanna called to let me know that Brown Construction had arrived and had begun work. She relayed a reminder from Marcus that the cement steps would be removed, so the only entrance to the house would be through the front door, though the back door could be used to leave the house in an emergency. I thanked her, then returned to work.

Just after 11:00am, Bianca was ushered into the offices by Trish fr...

June 14, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

On Tuesday morning, Jack, Bianca, and I drove to work together, though, at the end of the day, Jack would take the L or train home, as Bianca was coming with me to see Keiko. It was a relatively typical Tuesday morning, and Bianca and I ate our lunch in the small park I’d frequented during nice weather for more than a year.

When we returned to the office, there was a large envelope on my desk with Cyrillic writing and a hammer and sickle. I sat down, opened the envelope, and found a number of i...

June 15, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

“How did things go with your parents?” I asked Keiko when I saw her on Wednesday evening.

“They were both upset, obviously, and my mom did insist I come to their house when I’m discharged. I said ‘no’, and my dad backed me up. He did say he would like to see your house…”

“Our house,” I replied.

Keiko smiled, “See our house, and I said that they were welcome to visit once I’m home. How did things go with my grandfather?”

“Everything is set up, and we had tea. He explained the Kanji characters...

June 15, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

“Something is bothering you,” Bianca observed as we approached the house during our walk on Wednesday evening.

“Is it that obvious?” I asked.

“To me, anyway.”

“Am I doing the right thing?”

“You mean getting engaged to Keiko?”

“No, I’m positive that is the right thing; I meant with continuing to sleep with girls besides you?”

“Is that something Keiko asked you to stop doing?”

“No. Well, not before we are formally engaged.”

“And she’s aware?”

“Yes.”

“Then what’s the problem?” Bianca aske...

June 16, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

When my alarm rang on Thursday morning, CeCi went to her room to go back to sleep while I got up to get ready for work. Surprisingly, Deanna hadn’t joined us when she’d come home from work, but that had been her choice. When I finished dressing, I went downstairs and had breakfast with Jack and Bianca, then the three of us headed out to my car for the drive to the Hancock Center.

It was a busy day at work, and I spent some time with Bianca, providing answers to questions as she revised and rewo...

June 17, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

“How was your day?” Keiko asked when I arrived at the hospital mid-afternoon on Friday.

“Productive,” I replied. “I ordered two of the ultraviolet purifiers as I planned, and someone from a local distributor is coming out tomorrow to give us an estimate on a whole-house UV system for the A/C. The UV units will be here by Thursday of next week.”

“That’s going to be expensive, I’m sure.”

“Compared to the value of your health? Not even close. I have news — Kazuya-san called to say that the rings...

June 18, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

“What’s involved?” I asked the HVAC technician who was at the house on Saturday morning to provide the estimate for installing the UV air-cleaning unit.

“It goes in-line, before the circulation fan. We’d remove a section of the ducting, install the unit, and seal the ducting. It’s actually straightforward, and you have an electrical box to make the connection, so we won’t need an electrician. No permits are necessary for this change, so it’ll be the cost of the unit, about two hours of labor, a...

June 19, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

CeCi and I slept in on Sunday morning, having a late breakfast around 10:00am. Once we’d eaten, she, Deanna, and I went up to Deanna’s room so we could discuss their request.

“I think the first question has to be what you meant by ‘every configuration’,” I said to CeCi.

“All the possibilities!” she declared.

“Doing the math in my head,” Deanna said. “I think physiology requires multiple sessions.”

“Mind clueing me in?” I asked.

“You do each of us in the butt while the other girl does you in...

June 19, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

“Did Keiko tell you I visited this morning?” Violet asked after she greeted me on Sunday afternoon with the usual hug and kiss on the cheek.

“She did. I appreciate you visiting her. I assume she let you know she’s being released on Friday.”

“Yes. She won’t be able to join us for the baseball game or the fireworks, will she?”

“Probably not, but I plan to ask her doctor when I see him tomorrow afternoon. I do need to tell you something about Keiko.”

“You’re going to marry her, aren’t you?”

“Y...

June 20, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

On Monday, I began my day early, which would allow me to leave at 2:30pm to be with Keiko when Doctor Morrison presented her test results. I completed my usual morning tasks, reviewed my portfolio holdings, and made a few adjustments, then spent about thirty minutes on my Russian research project before Bianca and I had lunch and went to the gym.

When I returned, there was a message for me from my mom. I was surprised and concerned, so I quickly dialed the number for the school that she’d left....

June 20, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

“That was the weirdest thing I’ve ever done!” Katy exclaimed when we finished.

She had, as I’d suspected she would, not requested I wash before we engaged in sixty-nine to get me hard so that I could fulfill her request, which I’d done with slow, deliberate strokes, not prolonging it given she’d never done anal before.

“That was my reaction the first time I did it,” I said.

“I want to try it,” Taya said. “But I also want to screw again. Could we do that in the morning, before our shower?”

I ...

June 21, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

We woke with the alarm on Tuesday morning, Taya used her mouth to get me hard, then mounted me and rode me gently, giving herself two orgasms, before we switched to the missionary position and had a long, slow screw. When we finished, the three of us went to the shower, where Katy and Taya washed me, and then I washed each of them in turn, something I very much enjoyed doing.

“I know it’s unlikely,” Katy said as we dressed, “but feel free to call anytime over the Summer.”

Taya expressed the sa...

June 22, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

Wednesday was a normal day at work, which included my usual trip to the gym, and at 5:00pm, I left the office to visit Keiko.

“The hot tub, deck, and fire pit are all set,” I said. “I thought about inviting people over for the 3rd, but with what Doctor Morrison said about crowds, I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”

“If you want to do that, I can just stay in my room,” Keiko said.

“I really don’t like the idea of excluding you or doing something that means you have to stay in your room.”

“I don...

June 23, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

On Thursday, I met Beth for lunch at a diner not too far from the Hancock Center, as she had more flexibility with her time away from the shop than I had away from the office.

“I was both surprised and not surprised,” she said once we’d ordered. “You’re being a true «mensch», which is exactly what I’d expect from you.”

“How was your date with Joshua?” I asked.

“I agreed to a second one on Saturday evening.”

“That’s non-committal,” I chuckled. “You’re usually more direct.”

“I like him, but I...

June 24, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

On Friday, I arranged my schedule so I could be home at 3:00pm, and when I arrived, I found Keiko and her grandmother in the front room, which my housemates had begun calling the Japanese room. I greeted Atsuko with a bow, then exchanged a quick kiss with Keiko, the first one not technically prohibited by her doctors.

“Jonathan-san,” Atsuko said. “I will leave you two and return on Monday morning at 6:00am.”

“«Arigatou gozaimasu»,” I said, hoping I’d gotten the pronunciation which Keiko had pa...

June 25, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

“Did you sleep OK?” Keiko asked on Saturday morning.

“Yes,” I replied. “Did you like your special mattress?”

Keiko smiled, “I liked your warmth, and it made me feel safe and secure. I also missed the physical contact, which I couldn’t have for the past five weeks.”

“I don’t want to do anything that will hurt you, but I do have one question.”

“Birth control? Don’t worry. I didn’t have my period, and it’s unlikely I’ll have one for several months after the last round of chemo, and I might neve...

June 28, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

Sunday had been a lazy day around the house in the morning, and I’d visited Violet in the afternoon. Monday had been a typical day at the office, as had Tuesday. On Tuesday evening, rather than heading home, I headed to Jeri’s house for our monthly group dinner. As usually happened, I was the first to arrive.

“Your parents are almost never here,” I observed after Karl had brought me a drink.

“That’s been true for as long as I can remember. I had a nanny until I was about eight, at which point ...

June 30, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

“You should go out tomorrow night,” Keiko insisted after dinner on Thursday. "Ask CeCi to go out with you, please. I know she’ll say ‘yes’.

“Are you sure, Keiko-chan?”

“Positive. I’m afraid you’ll spend all your time at home and not see your friends. Go out and have a good time. Please.”

“Let me see if she’s interested,” I said.

Keiko laughed, “Of course she is! And if you want, you could stay in her room tomorrow night.”

“I want to be with you, and only you,” I said. “Yes, Bianca and I are...

July 1, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

On Friday, at work, I reviewed my gold and silver positions. There had been a slight uptick overnight, and indicators were pointing to closing out the positions, even though neither gold nor silver was quite at my target price. What gave me pause was that Monday had no trading. The question was, should I hold out for my target or lock in the profits? I decided I didn’t need to be greedy, so I called Mr. Steinem and asked him to close out my positions.

“Done,” he said. “Should I expect a call fr...

July 2, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

“Thank you for a wonderful night,” CeCi said when we woke up on Saturday morning. “Got one more in you?”

I chuckled, “You mean in you!”

“Obviously!”

“Hard or soft?”

“Soft, please.”

We had a slow, passionate, sexy screw, then showered together in the communal bathroom across from her room. After the shower, I went to my room to get clean clothes, finding Keiko propped in bed reading.

“Morning,” I said, going over to her and giving her a kiss.

“Morning! Are you and Bianca going shopping?”

...

July 3, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

Sunday morning was busy setting up for the cookout, and my housemates and I agreed that the house would basically be off-limits except for using the bathroom to limit Keiko’s exposure to the group of about thirty-five people who would be there. She would come outside to spend some time, but she and I would eat inside so she didn’t have to remove her mask in proximity to all those people in the backyard.

My mom and Violet arrived a bit early, and after I introduced my mom to Keiko, my mom asked ...

July 4, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

I spent Monday morning with Keiko because, unfortunately, she wasn’t able to join us at Wrigley Field for the doubleheader between the Cubs and Expos, nor at Grant Park for the fireworks. I wasn’t thrilled with the idea of going without her, but she insisted, so I left the house with Bianca so we could drop my car at the tailor shop and leave the coolers we’d prepared for Grant Park in Bev’s apartment. That accomplished, Bev, Glen, Beth, and Joshua joined us for the ride to the ballpark on the L...

July 5, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

Tuesday was a fairly normal day at work, and that evening, Juliette and Kristy made dinner. After we ate, Jack and I cleaned up, and then I spent the evening with Keiko, minus the hour I spent with Bianca. Deanna had asked for a last night together, so when Keiko went to bed, I stayed up and waited for Deanna to arrive home from her job at Venice Café. When she arrived home, we showered together, then went to her combination studio/bedroom in the attic.

“What can I do for you?” I asked.

"Being...

July 8, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

On Friday after the Fourth of July, just after 10:00am, I received the call I’d been waiting for from Detective Sergeant Thomas in Overland Park.

“The union leadership would like you to come to Overland Park and make a presentation and answer questions. They’re very interested, but at least one person expressed the thought that it was too good to be true.”

“The materials I’ll bring to hand out will include audited financial statements for all Spurgeon Funds. My fund is relatively new, so there...

July 9, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

On Saturday, Bianca and I went to the grocery store and dry cleaners, then had lunch at home with Keiko and Juliette. After lunch, Bianca and I went to Bianca’s room for our daily attempt at making a baby.

“I think today is the last day I’m likely to conceive,” Bianca said when we cuddled after we finished our attempt to place an order. “My period should start on Tuesday. There’s something I really want to do before you get engaged, if you’re amenable.”

“What’s that?”

“Screw in the hot tub! T...

July 10, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

Bianca, Juliette, and I had spent a few hours in their room fooling around, then, just after midnight, we’d gone to the hot tub where I’d screwed each girl in turn. When we’d finished in the hot tub, we’d returned to their bedroom and had fooled around until nearly 3:00am. We’d slept until 10:00am, and then each girl received a vigorous fuck, before the three of us took a shower together, with the girls giving me a joint blowjob.

After we’d dried off and dressed, we went downstairs for a late b...

July 12, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

On Tuesday, just after 11:00am, the phone on my desk rang.

“FX desk, Kane,” I answered.

“Mr. Kane, this is Kazuya Kenji from Kazuya Japanese Designs.”

“Good morning, Kazuya-san.”

“I have good news! The rings are in my possession, and I will ship them to you today via Registered Express Mail.”

It was Tuesday, which meant they would, in all probability, be delivered on Thursday or possibly even Wednesday. In case they were delivered tomorrow, I’d give Jack a letter along with a copy of my lic...

July 13, 1983, Overland Park, Kansas

On Wednesday morning, I dropped Jack and Bianca at the office, then drove to Meigs Field to meet Murray Matheson for our flight to Overland Park on the corporate Gulfstream. It was night and day different from my flight to Cincinnati, both in terms of simply walking onto the plane and flight speed, with the flight taking just over an hour.

“Hi, Mr. Kane,” James, the driver I’d had on my previous visit, called out.

“Morning, James! This is my boss, Mr. Matheson,” I said.

“This way, please.”

“...

July 13, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

When we arrived back at Meigs, Mr. Matheson and I each got into our cars and, as it was early enough in the afternoon, headed for the Hancock Center, where we went straight to Noel Spurgeon’s office.

“He nailed it,” Mr. Matheson said. “I mean, the kid is a natural. And not just $18 mil from their pension fund, another three from the benevolence fund is on offer.”

“Good job, Kane,” Mr. Spurgeon said. “Congratulations!”

“Thank you,” I replied.

“How’s your girlfriend?”

“She starts her next rou...